Tag: Prince

🎼10 Music Acts 🎤 That I Want A Broadway Musical From 🎭… Part 2

Hello Gentle Reader!

Well, I hope you liked Part 1 of this list. I know some people won’t. I have my fingers crossed that the end of this list will surprise you. Although, now that I think about it, it may not be that surprising. LOL!

I would like to issue a challenge. Listen to a playlist of one or all, who am I to say, of the artists that I listed and let me know if you can hear a different genre of musical for them to write. I would be curious to see what you thought, Dear Reader.

Now let’s get on with the list at hand, shall we?

Singer Pink performs at the 52nd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on January 31, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
  1. P!nk – I love her songwriting style after Linda Perry! It is heartfelt and emotionally revealing.  I think a tragic romance would be a perfect combination for a Broadway hit!
  1. Garth Brooks – The breadth of his work is almost unparalleled in the music industry.  He has had massive success with his straight up honky tonk twangy country as well as the later “new country” sound. Some of his songs actually have a pop feel and sound.  A musical based on a familial conflict would be something that I would LOVE to see hit Broadway at some point. 
  1. Rhiannon Giddens – Her rich voice and impassioned songs create a strong connection with emotion. I feel like a historical drama would work really well with her folk style. 
  1. PRINCE!!!!! – This one kills me because I wish he was still alive. If anyone could write for any story, this would be the artist. He is probably the one person with a larger diversity of work than Garth Brooks. His experimentation was always exciting. Sometimes, I didn’t get it, but I always appreciate any time an artist takes a chance on something very different than what they became popular with.  How else are they supposed to grow? I would have loved to see him on ANY project. I mean it.  Any project. The one thing that I would be cautious about is the collaborative aspect. Prince was known for wanting complete artistic control of his works, which I totally get, but sometimes you need to be part of a team. Even Lin-Manuel Miranda has a team. 
  1. Jason Mraz – I mean he has already proven he can write a kind of musical.  Did any of you catch Marl’s Mragical Ranch? His emotive and whimsical songs would pair well with nearly any style of story. Personally, I would love to see him write something that is similar to the School House Rock but with an environmental twist since that is something that he is passionate about. He can Lin-Manuel  his way onto Broadway if he wanted. 

Well, Kind Reader, that’s my list of 10 music acts I would like to see original Broadway shows from. At least the 10 as of this moment in time. If you could have a music act write a show, who would you want? What genre of show would you like? Am I asking too many questions? 😂 There were a few other people that I thought would be good ones to list but I couldn’t think of what type of show I would love to see them write so I will add a bonus section to this list.

What Would Prince Do… Have Done?

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As the world knows, the incredible artist known as Prince died on April 21. Like everyone else, I was a fan.  It was a very sad day when this news was released. 

During the past weekend’s performances of Boy From Oz in San Francisco, there was a sadness that came over me as the cast stood in the wings waiting for the final number of the show “I Go To Rio.”

For those of you unfamiliar with the show, BFO is essentially the life of Peter Allen.  Mostly known for writing the songs “The Best That You Can Do” (AKA Theme Song from the movie, Arthur, which starred Dudley Moore and Liza Minelli) and “I Honestly Love You” sung by Olivia Newton John.  He is also known for being the first husband of Liza Minelli, who has had the tragic luck of picking gay men to marry.  

The show covers not only his meeting of Liza, but first, her mother, the amazing Judy Garland. It progresses through his parting ways with Liza and falling in love with Greg Connell, who, like Allen died from AIDS.

But back to the show…

The song just before the finale is “Once Before I Go” in which Peter sings a beautiful good bye to the audience.  The song was actually written for Allen’s friend, Ann Margaret, when her husband had passed away, but I am sure that once Greg died the song became even more personal. As our Peter, played by the incredible Dan Seda, was performing the hell out of this song, it made me think of some of the other musicians that have passed away. Not only that they had passed, but that they had a chance to in a sense “finish” their work.  I know that isn’t the right word for it, but they did get the opportunity to say goodbye in a way. 

  1. David Bowie released one final album, Blackstar. This work feels very much like a goodbye, in my opinion.  Sure, there are some upbeat tunes on this record, like “Tis A Pity She Was A Whore,” but that one has me wondering if he was talking about a person or cancer or even life. There is a John Ford story of the same name that is of incestuous siblings that ends in one’s death.  It may be that he is singing about it.  Personally, I think it is just a coincidence.
  2. Freddie Mercury recorded one last song called “Mother Love.”  It was released on the Made in Heaven album after his passing.  In it, he sings bits about what may be himself: “My body’s aching, but I can’t sleep/My dreams are all the company I keep/ Got such a feeling as the sun goes down/I’m coming home to my sweet/Mother love.” Even in his final video, (These Are The Days of Our Lives) it is easy to see that he wasn’t well.  
  3. Howard Ashman, of Disney fame and the Little Shop Of Horrors musical, was able to give the world incredible songs for not only a beauty called Belle but a scrappy diamond in the rough named Aladdin. Both films were released posthumously and the world accepted these bright and shining gifts from the talented lyricist. 

But what about the people that left us unexpectedly?

What would they have created if they knew their lives would be taking that big final curtain call soon? People like Micheal Jackson, who was in the midst of planning his comeback concert.  I love MJ, but would it have worked? Did he have some new tricks up his sleeve?  Or how about Aaliyah and Notorious B.I.G?  What would be the last thing they want the fans or family to know?  

I seriously would love to know…

What would the Artist known as Prince have done